IN HTE GARDEN

Jojo is in curious mood this month creating a patchwork planet of leaves that can transport her to far-off lands without ever leaving her allotment

The fashion for cabinets of wonder or wunderkammers – curated rooms or boxes of curiosities gathered from the natural world – began in the 16th century and carried on right through to the 18th. More recently, modern artists, such as Joseph Cornell have taken the concept and made it new again. It’s a good idea for gardeners too. Now we can all travel the world in the pages of a seed catalogue, why not set aside a small patch of ground and fill it with squares sown with leaves (salads and herbs) from every corner of the globe? In time you’ll have a patchwork of tastes capable of transporting you from Mexico to the Mediterranean. You could mix some once popular but now forgotten herbs, such as hyssop and sweet cicely, with familiar favourites, such as rosemary and thyme, but if you’re looking for inspiration I would recommend the following:

Fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum-graecum) is often grown as a green manure but is used widely in Indian cookery; the obovate leaves have a faint curryish aroma and pleasant, pea-like taste. It should be sown successionally (eat only tender young leaves) at three-week intervals.

Greek cress ( Lepidium sativum) is a peppery, vigorous-growing cress with a curly parsley-like leaf and a nutty, clean, fresh, cressy taste with a hot follow on. It can be grown year round.

Sorrel ( Rumex acetosa) is a herb no garden should be without. It is shade tolerant so a good choice for overlooked gardens. The common herb has large, shield-shaped leaves, and if picked often it carries on producing small tender leaves throughout the year. French or buckler leaved sorrel ( Rumex scutatus) has smaller leaves, and is supposedly superior but I have always been very happy with the larger-leaved species. Propagate by division.

Stridolo ( Silene vulgaris), also known as sculpit, is an European herb with a subtle, mild tarragon-like flavour with hints of chicory and peppery rocket. Its unusual flowers – like a speckled, pink, hot air balloon fringed with white petals – are a bonus. Excellent in omelettes or chopped into pasta.

Pipiche ( Porophyllum linaria) is a fast-growing, Mexican herb that has a fresh, citrus and coriander flavour, with notes of anise; the narrow leaves have glands that secrete essential oils. It has tufty, pod-like, blueish-purple blooms, which make it an attractive addition to the herb garden.

Wild rocket ( Diplotaxis tenuifolia) is more fiery than the fatter-leaved salad rocket with deeply serrated, narrow leaves. It self seeds all over my allotment and its bright-yellow flowers are always a welcome sight.